The smell of salt & diesel in the damp air, the sounds of halyards clanging & motors humming, the feel of a gritty floor under your feet, and the sight of other boaters & yard crews working on boats. All the joys of living on the hard! Add to that . . . long hikes across the boatyard just to get to a toilet or a shower, yard dust blowing in through the hatches, and climbing up & down the ladder numerous times throughout the day.

This week, we're getting a real feel for what it's going to be like living aboard the boat again . . . this time as a family. And right now, despite living on the hard, it still feels really good. The kids & I have settled into a workable schooling routine. After a day's work, we can enjoy the ambiance of grilling in the cockpit at sunset while listening to Bob Marley and Jack Johnson. And it's also been nice to meet & visit with fellow boaters.

This is the first time we've homeschooled aboard, and amidst living in all the chaos of boat work and a noisy boatyard, I am so proud of how well the kids are doing. Even though there's a ton of noise around us, work tools spread throughout the boat, and it's extremely muggy, the kids are being great sports about it all. Colin even said "It's good to be on a boat". We have our normal moans & groans, especially with the heat & humidity, but we're actually getting schoolwork done. Usually the kids school in different rooms because they easily distract each other. However, today they are both working semi-quietly together in the main salon. Colin (3rd grade) even administered Justine's (5th grade) spelling pretest to her!

Of course, I should definitely mention the boat work that's going on for the week. However, I'm having a difficult time obtaining a turn at the computer, so I will try to post those details in the next day or two. Believe me, the list is